


Dive Down

by BloomingMiracle (Luna264)



Series: Kingdom Hearts Wheelchair AU [6]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Gen, Verum Rex (Kingdom Hearts), im not tagging twewy mostly bc joshua hops in and out of the story like a hot potato, theres also a digimon reference but its more of an end gag ig, this is part of wheelchair au but it mostly stands on its own i think??, this refused to not be written, yozora is a nobody
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-26
Updated: 2020-02-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:21:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22902355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luna264/pseuds/BloomingMiracle
Summary: Yozora exists now. It comes with responsibilities. He has to figure out what that means.(Theoretically capable of standing alone from the rest of the AU)
Series: Kingdom Hearts Wheelchair AU [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1469156
Comments: 10
Kudos: 45





	Dive Down

There were three of them, before he was born. The prison, the prisoner, and the warden. Beyond that, he didn’t know. He barely knew that much. He would forget it, anyways, soon enough.

He was born in the absence of the prison. That much he knew, too, and that much he would forget. The prisoner and the warden stayed, the warden holding the walls in even without belonging to them.

The walls belonged to the prison.

The walls belonged to him, born in absence. Born  _ of _ absence, if he was honest.

It wasn’t long before the warden and the prisoner were gone, too. That was the first time he had seen the hero.

Heroes and prisons, chasing each other in circles.

He drifted after that. He had never been alone in those walls before. He was born into the sounds of other people’s thoughts. He was born into other people’s machinations.

He wasn’t sure how long it was, but he was snatched from his drifting eventually.

There were three, who found him.

“Are you sure, Aegis?” A clipped voice asked.

“It has to be him,” Another voice shot back. Aegis, then? “You know that. You’ve seen the calculations.”

“He’s so young,” The first voice said.

“Barely younger than those newest members of  _ your _ organization,” A third voice prodded.

“Hey, I think he’s waking up,” Aegis said. “Hey, Commander! You in there?”

The Commander-- something about that title wore into grooves he hadn’t noticed before, like ruts on a dirt road travelled every day over and over and over again until the end of time and perhaps beyond-- opened his eyes and sat up, rubbing his head.

“How are you feeling?” The first speaker asked him. “What do you remember?”

The Commander looked between the three, and narrowed his eyes. All his memories fled from his attempts to know them. He was already forgetting. “What happened?”

“You were… hurt,” The third speaker said. “You got lost.”

He was tempted to pretend he understood what was going on, who these people were, who  _ he _ was, but… that was impossible. He knew that much. He knew what ‘impossible’ meant, for now.

“Who are you, who am I, and where are we?”

The first speaker sighed. “Really, he is a  _ child _ .”

“We get it, you’ve been dropping back and forth between our existences for longer than any mortal could live, you’re old as fuck,” Aegis groaned.

“ _ You _ are  _ fourteen _ , young man--”

“Yes, we are child soldiers,” The third speaker-- would it  _ kill _ these people to introduce themselves properly?-- asked. “We are child  _ super _ soldiers, chosen by destiny and ability scores and the like. That doesn’t change the fact that you are anywhere between 250 and 1000 years old, at an exact number nobody wants to calculate because we don’t have the precise data.”

“ _ Nobody _ wants to calculate it, you say?” The first speaker asked, eyebrows drawing up in amusement. “Then I suppose the Commander and I will be making a game of it.”

“Shut  _ up _ ,” Aegis said. “You’re the one who wasn’t here  _ then _ .”

“No, because I was too busy playing the mole, per calculated averages. You know, those same averages you fished a newborn teenager out of the void for?”

The Commander coughed, and the group turned back to him.

“Who are you, who am I, and where are we?” He asked again.

The building shook.

“I’m Magia,” The third speaker said. “Luxord, get him out of here. We can’t stay in a compromised location.”

“If you’re so sure he’s the one we need, I can hardly take him to the castle,” The first speaker-- Luxord, then?-- said. Still, the Commander found himself helped to his feet and led through a maze of hallways, away from Magia and Aegis.

“What’s going on?” He asked.

“Gigas,” Luxord answered, almost too serene. “They can’t hurt you, if you don’t let them. They destroyed the group that raised those two about…” A pause. “A year and some ago, for them?”

“‘Some’ what?” The Commander asked, but the pair had come to a locked door, and Luxord was desperately toying with it.

“Oh, what was that old code phrase?” He muttered. “Something like…  _ yozora wa naze kon'na ni kurai no ka _ ?”

“ _ Yozora _ ,” The Commander muttered. “Why is the night sky so dark?”

The door opened.

“Good show,” Luxord said. “I will now proceed to call you Yozora for the rest of your life.”

“Sounds about right,” Yozora said, feeling that same sense of familiarity-- of repetition-- that he’d felt when Aegis had called him ‘Commander’.

Luxord scooped a small, rectangular device off a bench and pressed it into Yozora’s hands. “Don’t lose that,” He said. “It will tell you where to go next. Unfortunately, this is where I leave you.”

“What?” Yozora asked.

“I’ve been here for an hour,” Luxord said. “Or four, depending on who you ask. If my absence has gone unnoticed, I think I’ll buy a lottery ticket.”

“What does that--” Yozora asked, but Luxord closed his eyes, started to collapse, and shimmered. He vanished before he hit the floor.

The device in Yozora’s hands lit up, showing words.  [UNIT DESIGNATE LUXORD HAS DROPPED. ACTIVATING GPS PER UNIQUE SPECIFICATION.]

“Damn,” Yozora said. “Existing sure is weird.”

He followed the instructions on the device.

The world he emerged into was… strange.

On one hand, he was surrounded by people, bustling to and fro and back again. Impossibly tall buildings stretched into the night sky, neon and infinite.

On the other, he was standing in a desolate ruin, and there were giant  _ things _ running around causing all sorts of problems.

“Oh, phooey.”

Yozora whirled, instinctively catching the sheathed blade lobbed in his general direction. “Who are you?”

“That’s not that important,” The person there sighed. “Looks like you’re without your tutorial. Whatever. You should be able to figure this part out on your own, or at least without  _ my _ help. Welcome to Shibuya, Yozora.”

“How did--”

The stranger was gone.

Yozora looked at the empty space, shook his head, and started to run.

~*~*~*~

Two hours later, he was sitting under a particularly large sheet of rubble (that was also an empty alleyway) with Aegis. He would have been alone, had Magia not sacrificed herself into the custody of the Gigas to give Aegis (leg broken and  _ definitely _ concussed, no doubt from some heroic act of his own) a chance to escape.

“What now?” He asked, watching the other boy splint his own leg.

“Well, you got the sword Noctis and Luxord were having Joshua hold onto for you,” Aegis said. “I think you should start with figuring out how well you can use it.”

“I did pretty alright back there,” Yozora said, a little defensively.

“Yeah, but ‘pretty alright’ isn’t good enough,” Aegis said. “You’ve got to be, like,  _ good as hell _ at it.  _ The best _ as hell.”

“I don’t think you’re in any position to judge.”

“I have more practice than you,” Aegis said. “But you’ve got more magical destiny. That’s what they calculated, before the Gigas took them. Before--”

Aegis cut off, hand going to his mouth has he squeezed his eyes shut.

“We’ll get Magia back,” Yozora said, but his assurance sounded hollow. Felt hollow.

“We can sure fucking try,” Aegis muttered.

~*~*~*~

Yozora fought  _ a lot _ of Gigas, and he grew quickly as he did. He didn’t learn to avoid the overlapping instances of Shibuya around him, as he’d hoped to; instead, he learned to use them to his advantage.

He was particularly proud of the time he’d dragged a group of Gigas into Joshua’s game, not that he’d ever admit it to the guy or anyone who worked with him. He  _ had _ claimed it to be an accident, after all.

He practiced his swordwork a lot, Aegis critiquing his form and Yozora critiquing Aegis’ critiques. He got a crossbow, too. Aegis wasn’t much help with that.

“I keep having these dreams,” Yozora said, pretending to parry the air. “Another reality, one that isn’t a layover of Shibuya. Another hero, looking for other friends.”

“Hm,” Aegis said. “What’s the other hero look like?”

“Brown hair,” Yozora said. “Definitely grew up outside. Wheelchair.”

Aegis considered that. “You know,” He said. “Might be Sora.”

“You’ve mentioned him, and Luxord’s mentioned him when he’s borrowing the scanner, but neither of you have really explained him.”

“The averages again,” Aegis said. “On average, he comes to Shibuya. On average, you have to save him somehow, and everyone who’s almost him.”

“Sounds  _ lovely _ ,” Yozora said, in a tone that clearly stated he thought it was anything but that. “ _ More _ work.”

“It shouldn’t happen until we’re done with the Gigas,” Aegis said, but he sounded a little unsure.

“‘Shouldn’t’?”

“Well…” Aegis rubbed the back of his head. “On average, he can walk, so…”

Yozora snorted, although he wasn’t quite sure why the idea was so ridiculous to him.

“Y-- Commander?” Aegis still refused to call him anything but Commander. It was getting hard on them both.

Yozora sighed, sheathing his sword. “I’m stopping by the reaper’s game,” He said. “See what’s in stock, you know?”

“Right,” Aegis said. “Think you can get away with decking Joshua for me?”

“Doubt it,” Yozora said. “I’ll pick you up a soda or something.”

~*~*~*~

Dropping into the game’s instance of Shibuya meant avoiding the players. After all, he could hardly pass himself off as a background NPC.

Aegis said destiny was like that; it marked the people who had too much of it. Yozora wasn’t too fond of destiny, and its tendency to give him people and then try to rip them away, but he had the strength to resist it now.

He had the strength to bring back Aegis’ sister and help the other boy finally sleep at night.

Dealing with the shopkeeper in the game was mindless. Same prices for everything, same items each phase of the game with only minor variance for whoever the players were, same routine.

A bell rang over the door, and Yozora bit back a swear.

“Who are you?” A voice asked.

He turned.

A boy in headphones stood there, Joshua behind him and giving Yozora a hard look.

“Nobody,” Yozora said.

“Neku, we can’t fight in shops, remember? Just leave it.” Joshua crossed his arms, not trying to hide his displeasure at Yozora’s presence.

“… You two know each other?” Neku asked.

Yozora said nothing, paying for his selection and leaving the shop so Joshua could explain on his own. He’d have a better time of it without Yozora trying to help. Yozora didn’t know the rules of the game, after all. Not really.

He found where he’d left Aegis, and sat down next to him before dropping back into the instance.

Aegis jumped. “Don’t do that!”

“Sorry,” Yozora said. “Got your soda. And a sandwich, because I figured you might be hungry.”

Aegis took the offered food, slowly, and started to eat. “Thanks,” He said, a little awkwardly. “I, uh. I’m just jumpy, I guess.”

“Thanks for not stabbing me, or something.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Commander.”

~*~*~*~

“Cheating again, Yozora?” Luxord sighed.

Yozora held the reader behind his back. “No,” He said. “Just… checking the map. For Gigas.”

“Right,” Luxord said, holding up the reader and showing Yozora its screen. “That’s why it’s telling you which cards I’ve filled.”

Yozora looked back at his hands, which were now empty. “Wh-- How?”

“Luxord,” Aegis said. “Don’t torment him.”

“Believe me, I know how to deal with heroes,” Luxord said. “I’ve been doing it for a long time. A little teasing is good for them, sometimes.”

Aegis didn’t look convinced.

“Aegis, what’s that behind your ear?” Luxord asked him.

“What?” Aegis started brushing behind his ears.

“Let me see.” Luxord reached behind Aegis’ ear, withdrawing a card that read ‘Lighten up’ and handing it to him. He got a dirty look for his efforts.

Yozora snorted.

“We’re raiding the Gigas nest soon,” Aegis said. “If Magia’s anywhere, she’ll be  _ there _ . Will you be coming?”

“I’m afraid I still have responsibilities in my own reality,” Luxord said.

“That’s what you  _ always _ say!” Aegis said.

“Because it’s always been true.” Luxord removed his glasses, the glamour thet projected onto him fading as he did so. “Take these, one of you. Decent magic boost on them.”

Yozora took the frames, and nearly dropped them from the buzz of power that entered his fingertips. “ _ Decent _ ?” He said.

“Decent,” Luxord said. “You’ve been focusing more on your physical strength, then?”

“Casting spells takes time,” Yozora said. “I’ve been keeping up with my healing spells, though. I thought.”

“Healing spells are the  _ least  _ efficient way to train your magic, even for us.” Luxord shook his head, and dropped before Yozora and Aegis could object.

“That guy is insufferable,” Aegis sighed. “I don’t know how anyone put up with him long enough for him to be integrated into this whole thing.”

~*~*~*~

The Gigas nest was in shambles when they arrived.

“Aegis! Commander!” Magia called from where she was pointing a huge gun at a fuck-off huge dragon. “Just in time! Bahamut’s here!”

“Magia!” Aegis exclaimed in relief.

“Aegis,” She said again. “ _ Bahamut _ .”

“Aegis, that is a fuck-off huge dragon,” Yozora said. “Magia, uh. Nice to see you again?”

“Commander,” She said, more formally that he had particularly hoped for. “How are you feeling about dragon-slaying right now?”

“I was prepared for robots, but considering the fact that this dragon is actually alive and therefore theoretically capable of actual  _ death _ …” He shrugged. “I’m game.”

“Excellent.” She fired a round of bullets at the dragon. “Let’s get started, shall we?”

~*~*~*~

“We just fucking killed Bahamut,” Aegis breathed.

“This is the best day of my life,” Magia agreed.

“I’m gonna sleep for a week,” Yozora sighed, leaning onto Aegis’ shoulder. “I’m dropping us into a Shibuya that’s still alive and getting us a hotel.”

“Can you even drop with other people?” Magia asked.

“What’s going to stop me?” Yozora retorted. “Bahamut? We just killed him.”

~*~*~*~

A few hours later, they were setting up in a suite when Joshua appeared.

“This Shibuya isn’t exactly the best place for a rest right now, you know,” He said.

“Better than  _ yours _ ,” Aegis pointed out.

“They have  _ other _ people to handle the giant monsters here,” Yozora groaned. “They have  _ friendly _ giant monsters. We’ll be fine.”

There was a knock on the door.

“Who’s that?” Magia asked.

“Someone more polite than Josh,” Yozora said.

“Those would be bakemon,” Joshua said. “They’re kidnapping everyone in this instance right now.”

“We already paid for the fucking hotel,” Aegis said.

“Besides, I think we’re a little more than they’re bargaining for, even if you don’t stick around.” Magia hefted a gun.

“They’ll escalate,” Joshua sighed. “But if you’re  _ really _ sure…”

“You’re no help at all,” Aegis said.

“He’s more help than he has to be,” Yozora said. “I imagine someone paid him at some point.”

“Luxord outsourced your tutorials,” Joshua said. “And you have access to a reality that might be useful to me at some point. Still, I  _ do _ have another job. Speaking of, I should get going. Good luck.” He vanished.

“Just like Luxord,” Aegis sighed.

The door slammed open.

Yozora aimed his crossbow without looking up. “Different day, same bullshit.”


End file.
